There are four bills scheduled to be heard that day, HB 08-1123 is currently first on the docket, although that can change. It’s always a good idea to bring a book or something you can work on while waiting to testify. Anyone can come and listen to testimony, but if you want to testify here is the process.

You will need to sign the registration sheet inside the room where the testimony will be heard. You will need to include your name, who you represent, and if you are in favor of or in opposition of the bill. Don’t worry about remembering all of this; the sign in sheet will prompt you on these questions.

When addressing the committee, begin by saying, “Madam Chair and Members of the Committee, my name is ___________, and I represent _(you don’t have to represent anyone, just include the information if you are)_. I am here today in support of House Bill 1123 because _____________________________.” The expectation is not that you will come across as a professional speaker, but will be sincere and respectful in what you are saying. Here are a few tips to help you prepare.

Bring your passion with you that day! The legislators respond well to people who are passionate about their cause.

Be positive. Don’t talk down or insult anyone else who has already testified, this is not a debate. Being negative and angry will also alienate them from your cause as they will just tune out what you are saying.

Don’t repeat what others have already said. If you are the third of fourth person to testify and someone has already said what you wanted to say, they will be more responsive toward you if you politely say that your position has already been stated, and you have nothing new to add. Remember their day can consist of hearing the same thing over and over again from different people; be respectful of everyone’s time.

Know the bill. Reference the bill whenever possible to back up what you support and why you support it.

Use facts. All testimony becomes part of a permanent record and may be used in future research. Make certain that you know what you are saying is factually true, don’t include things that you may have heard, or think may be going on.

Be Prepared. Giving public testimony before a legislative committee can an exciting and rewarding experience, if you are prepared.

The bill has been assigned to the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee. The members of that committee are listed below.

Representative Marshall is the Chairman of the committee, and Representative Rice is the Vice-Chair. The bill must make it past this first committee before it can go forward. Please consider contacting these Representatives to offer your position of the bill.

Please keep in mind that the Legislators rarely read their own email, their staff usually weeds through the inbox and makes notes as to the numbers of people in support or opposition of a bill. It is not necessary to write a lengthy letter of support, just simply include your name, where you are from, who you are with, and and then tell them your position on House Bill HB08-1123.

The subject line of your email should read “HB08-1123”. Your greeting could read, “Dear Representatives of the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee”...

You can also call each Representative and leave a message with your name, where you are from, who you are with, and that you support HB08-1123 and then tell them your position on the bill.

The December 26th article cites several states including Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, and their battles against government wishes to pull teeth, literally, and install half a million dollar scrubbers.

Why does this issue keep growing? It is in short, because cremation rates keep growing. As cited in the LA Times, “According to the Cremation Assn. of North America, a 2005 survey found 46% of Americans planned to choose cremation, compared with 31% in 1990. Its use varies widely by region: In Nevada and Hawaii, two-thirds of bodies were cremated in 2005; in a number of Southern states, a tenth were.”

This was a balanced article, however, one thing always missing from this topic is that although the cremation rates keep growing every single year, the number of dentists using amalgam fillings has been decreasing every single year since the 1970’s. Therefore, this issue has a shelf life of about 30 years, at that time the vast majority of people with mercury in their mouths will have died causing the issue to continually decrease until it becomes a non-issue. In the meantime people will still be accidentally breaking light bulbs releasing as much mercury in their homes as is released in a single cremation. The federal EPA notes that both crematories and broken light bulbs make up less that 1% of the mercury emission in the United States.